Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden will try to ride his factory ZX-6RR in Friday morning AMA Supersport practice at Infineon Raceway. “I’m going to give it a try, see if I’m strong enough,” Hayden told Roadracingworld.com Thursday in the paddock at Infineon Raceway. Hayden suffered a double fracture and dislocation of his right lower leg in a crash during the April 23 AMA Superbike race at Barber Motorsports Park. “I would like to race and finish in the top 10,” Hayden continued. “Winning the Supersport Championship isn’t really possible unless (current series point leader Jamie) Hacking has a bad race or a DNF or something, but it’s only the fourth race of the season and I’m not gonna give up yet. We’ll see what happens.” Hayden said the chance that he will actually race at Infineon Raceway is “a long shot” because his right foot is locked into one position by ligament damage and because the track is very physically demanding.

Team Roadracingworld.com’s Chris Ulrich gave rides on his two-seat Suzuki GSX-R1000 racebike to two local newspaper reporters during a break in Thursday’s promoter practice day at Infineon Raceway, and both said the ride with Ulrich topped the experience they had when they rode in a two-seat IRL race car. “I rode in the two-seat Indy car here last year, which quite frankly was a little weak,” said Bradley Gray, a hobbyist car racer and the Infineon Raceway beat reporter for the Sonoma Valley Sun weekly newspaper, after riding with Ulrich. “This was a night-and-day difference to riding in the two-seat Indy car, that’s for sure. “The acceleration was awesome, just awesome! And the wheelies down the front straightaway were great. It was absolutely a blast! It was quite an eye-opening experience. It was also fun having the other bike out there in such close proximity.” Ulrich’s teammate Robertino Pietri rode his GSX-R1000 close to Ulrich during the two-seat rides to give the reporters a small indication of what being in a race with other bikes feels like. “That was the most exciting/scaring thing I’ve ever done in my life,” laughed Erin Lawley, a sports reporter for the Napa Valley Register daily newspaper, immediately after a ride on Ulrich’s two-seat racebike. “That was awesome, so awesome! I’ve always had respect for people who race bikes, but now I have so much more respect because it’s so hard on your body. And I’m not doing anything but holding on, and it’s a lot of work. I can’t imagine what they (riders) are doing.”

Team Hotbodies rider Barrett Long will miss the next two rounds of the AMA Supersport Championship at Infineon Raceway and Road America due to a broken wrist. Barrett fell off his freestyle bicycle Saturday evening while doing a wall grind. The wrist was pinned and screwed by Dr. Patrick Owens on Monday in Miami, Florida. Expected recovery time is four to six weeks.

The Graves Motorsports Yamaha road race transporter is expected to arrive at Infineon Raceway Thursday night after a seven-hour drive from Southern California turned into a 36-hour ordeal. The tractor-trailer rig was going up the steep, mountainous “Grapevine” section of Interstate 5, just north of the Graves raceshop in Van Nuys, California, when the brakes on the rear axles of the trailer began to drag until they overheated and caught on fire. Evidently, it was quite a blaze, according to Yamaha Team Manager Tom Halverson, and Graves Motorsports Yamaha driver Rob Reveles was unable to extinguish the flames with the fire extinguisher carried on board the truck. A California Highway Patrol officer was behind the track when it caught fire, however, and had a fire truck dispatched to the scene before the Graves truck had even stopped rolling. In addition to damage to the trailer’s tires and brakes, the fire destroyed the air bag suspension system. And because race transporters are relatively unique in the trucking world, replacement air bags had to be shipped in overnight and installed Thursday. At 3:30 p.m. local time, the Graves truck was preparing to leave a truck repair shop and start driving north to Infineon Raceway, where it is expected to arrive Thursday evening. Luckily for the Graves Motorsports Yamaha team, AMA Superstock practice doesn’t start until noon on Friday, giving the team time to set up its garage area and get its bikes through technical inspection. During the ordeal, the Graves Motorsports Yamaha Supermoto race transporter was on standby to shuttle the road race team’s bikes and tools from the damaged rig to Infineon Raceway.

Hawk Kawasaki Heading Overseas Mondello Park Round 5 – 21st May 2006 Hawk Kawasaki riders Dean Thomas (33), Craig Coxhell (23) and Peter Hickman (19) are travelling the Irish Sea to get to the next venue of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Round five of the series is staged at the Southern Ireland based circuit of Mondello Park on the 21st May. The Team are feeling confident as they head to the 2.2-mile circuit. A successful test at Mallory Park a couple of weeks ago, saw them make some alterations to the ZX-10R in a hope to improve on their results from previous rounds in the Championship. Australian Thomas sustained injuries after a collision with Suzuki rider James Haydon at Oulton Park and is hoping to be fully fit for the Irish Round. Commenting Thomas said “My ribs are still giving me a bit of grief, I’m hoping the adrenaline will numb the pain during the weekend. I had a terrible weekend at Mondello last year and I’m looking at not repeating that this weekend. I like the circuit and not sure why I struggled so much there last season but fingers crossed I will gain two good results this year.” Coalville based rider Craig Coxhell has now fully recovered from his broken collarbone and damaged shoulder and is eager for some positive results. “It knocked my confidence a bit after crashing at Donington and I’ve been trying to ensure that I’ve not tipped off in the previous two rounds and cause further injury. I am feeling much better in myself for this weekend, I have been training hard in the gym to get back to full fitness again. We have done some testing on the bike since Oulton, and have made some slight adjustments which should help me this weekend in Ireland.” Rookie rider Peter Hickman is also looking forward to the weekend in Ireland saying “I’ve only ridden the circuit once before but keen to ride it on a Superbike. It’s extremely bumpy so I will be using the practice sessions to learn the circuit and how the Superbike handles on it. The team have been working hard to get my bikes sorted for this weekend and maybe I will be blessed with the luck of the Irish and gain my first Championship points.” Mondello Park will be shown on ITV1 on Sunday 21st May from 15:00 – 16:30 and on Sky Sports 20:30 – 00:00 2006 British Superbike Calendar: – Round 5 – 19 21 May Mondello Park, Southern Ireland Round 6 – 02 04 June Mallory Park, Leicestershire Round 7 – 16 18 June Snetterton, Norfolk 05 06 July Official BSB Test Croft Round 8 – 14 16 July Knockhill, Scotland Round 9 – 21 23 July Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 10 – 11 13 August Croft, North Yorkshire 17 August Official BSB Test Cadwell Park Round 11 – 26 28 August Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire 31 August Official BSB Test Silverstone Round 12 – 15 17 September Silverstone, Northamptonshire Round 13 – 29 Sept 01 Oct Brands Hatch, Kent

Sierra Nevada Named ‘Official Beer’ of Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown SONOMA, Calif. Infineon Raceway and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company have entered into an agreement that will make the Northern California-based brewery the “Official Beer Sponsor” of the Kawasaki AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Superbike Showdown weekend, presented by Supercuts (May 19-21). Sierra Nevada beers will be featured in a beer garden in the paddock area during the AMA event, including Pale Ale, Summerfest, Torpedo Ale and Crystal Wheat. The garden will also feature patio tables and umbrellas and promotion specialists from the Chico-based brewery will also be available to answer any questions. Sierra Nevada beer will also be available for purchase at all concession stands around the facility and on the menus for suite and hospitality clients during the AMA weekend. The two-year partnership also gives Sierra Nevada promotional rights to the Infineon Raceway name and logo, as well as a presence on the raceway’s Web-site. Sierra Nevada will also receive ticket packages to some of the raceway’s major events, as well as a signage presence at AMA. Sierra Nevada is based in Chico (Northern California) and has a proud history as one of the pioneers of the craft brewing industry and as a brewer of award-winning beers since 1981. For more information, visit www.sierranevada.com . And just in case somebody drinks too much of the official beer, here’s more, from another press release issued by Infineon Raceway: Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Named “Official Medical and Fan Care Services Provider” of Infineon Raceway SONOMA, Calif. Infineon Raceway and Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital have entered into a partnership that will make the North Bay-based hospital the “Official Medical and Fan Care Services Provider” of Infineon Raceway, raceway officials announced. With this two-year partnership, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital becomes the official sponsor of the raceway’s medical center, first aid stations and grandstand fan care center. These facilities will each be titled with the hospital’s name. “We have no more important responsibility than to look after the well-being of our guests, whether they be competitors or fans. Our relationship with Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital gives us excellent medical and first aid capabilities here at the raceway, backed by the North Bay’s regional trauma center,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway. “We appreciate the outstanding support we’ve received from Santa Rosa Memorial and their staff in prior seasons and are delighted to announce this expanded relationship.” The partnership also includes signage on the medical center and grandstand first aid center, as well as signage on all temporary first aid stations. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital will also receive promotional rights to the Infineon Raceway name and logo, as well as a presence on the raceway’s Web-site. “St. Joseph Health System and our employees of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital are dedicated to providing the best quality of care to our patients,” said George Pérez, president & CEO of St. Joseph Health System, Sonoma County. “We see this designation as the raceway’s ‘Official Medical and Fan Care Services Provider’ as a way to extend our mission of ensuring all people have access to quality health care. We’re thrilled to ensure everyone who visits the raceway has a safe and enjoyable time.”

DE PUNIET QUIETLY CONFIDENT GOING INTO HOME GRAND PRIX The Kawasaki Racing Team return to Europe, after three overseas races, this weekend for the Grand Prix de France at the legendary Bugatti circuit in Le Mans. For MotoGP rookie, Randy de Puniet, races don’t come more important than this. As the only French rider in the premier MotoGP class, de Puniet will have the support of a strong home crowd this weekend, but he will also carry the hopes and expectations of every French MotoGP fan on his young shoulders. But de Puniet is adamant that he welcomes this additional pressure, and that four podiums in the past at Le Mans prove that he is more than capable of channelling this pressure into a strong result in Sunday’s 28-lap Grand Prix de France. De Puniet’s Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano, can also count on strong support at Le Mans this weekend, after building up a loyal fan base during four years racing for a French team, firstly in the 250cc World Championship, and then in the MotoGP class. And if added incentive were needed, the fact that Nakano’s parents will be watching this race from the Kawasaki pit box, after making the trip from their home in Japan, is sure to provide it. Like many of the MotoGP riders, Nakano does not rate the Le Mans circuit amongst his favourites on the MotoGP calendar, but after a strong performance during practice and qualifying for last year’s race, the 28-year-old Japanese rider arrives in France confident that, with the new Ninja ZX-RR, a good result is a distinct possibility on Sunday. Le Mans, which is situated in the Sarthe region of France and is home to the legendary 24 Heures du Mans car race, is one of the most famous motorsports facilities in the world. First gear corners dominate the 4.18 km Bugatti circuit, on which Sunday’s 28-lap Grand Prix de France will be run, demanding a bike that is stable under braking, but with explosive acceleration out of the low-speed turns. Randy de Puniet: #17 “I’ve had a lot of fun racing at Le Mans in the past. I’ve finished on the podium here four times on the 250cc machine, and I hope that this weekend, on the MotoGP bike, I can do another good race in front of my home crowd. I arrive here pretty confident, because although the race in China didn’t go quite as we’d hoped, the bike was working well in practice and qualifying. For sure, the support of the French fans here at Le Mans adds some pressure this weekend, but it is the same every year and I think this is a good pressure, because my results in this race in the past have always been strong. So, for me, it is not a problem.” Shinya Nakano: #56 “During the European season I live in France, as I did when I raced for four years with a French team, so this weekend is like a second home race for me. In the past this circuit has not been one of my favourites, but we had a good feeling with the bike here last year, and I hope that the same will be true with the new version of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR this weekend. This circuit requires a bike to be stable on the brakes, but also to have good acceleration, and finding a set-up that achieves this will be our main focus during practice on Friday and Saturday. The weather is always unpredictable here, but if we can find a good balance with the bike, then I’m confident that we can put in a strong performance in Sunday’s race whatever the conditions.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: MotoGP teams rendezvous in Le Mans Alice Grand Prix de France Thursday May 18th 2006 Just four days after their Chinese excursion, the MotoGP teams started work today in Le Mans ahead of Sunday’s Alice Grand Prix of France. The day saw a few fans already entering the historic circuit to view the sporadic sighting laps of the MotoGP riders, and weather which ranged from patchy sunshine to ominous-looking clouds. The customary pre-Grand Prix press conference featured appearances from championship leader Nicky Hayden, team-mate and race-winner in China Dani Pedrosa, Colin Edwards, John Hopkins and hometown rider Randy de Puniet. Always keen to lend a hand where necessary, a selection of MotoGP riders spent the afternoon at a children’s hospital in Le Mans, meeting and greeting those less fortunate. MotoGP riders Alex Hofmann and Carlos Checa were joined by former 125cc World Champion Arnaud Vincent as they signed autographs, posed for photographs and spoke with the convalescing children. Local riders Sylvain Guintoli and Jules Cluzel also took part in a Q&A session for local media and fans, who are among the most devoted in the world of motorcycle racing. A large number of the premier class’ big names will also be present throughout the weekend for photo opportunities and public interviews at the Espace Recontre section of the circuit. The tight Le Mans Circuit itself contrasts with the ample non-European circuits used in the previous Grands Prix of the season, and also comes with it’s own distinctive quirks. An on-the-premises museum and local ice cream seller help complete the unique charm of the French racetrack, the paddock already filled with the motorhomes typical of European races. The time schedule for the Alice Grand Prix of France follows the normal European scheme. Free practice gets underway from 9am tomorrow, as well as the first qualifying sessions for the 125cc and 250cc classes. Saturday plays host to MotoGP, 125cc and 250cc qualifying, where the expectant French public will get to see how the grid shapes up for Sunday’s race. Nicky Hayden (Honda) : “It’s tough, but it’s a good track. I haven’t had good results here but I have always put in good performances. I like racing, so the more the better. I think I felt stronger in Qatar than in Shanghai in terms of chasing the win. Second is good, but for me its never enough. I’m not too down about not having won a race this year yet. The last three circuits were all big, long tracks. There is nothing too fancy here, and it seems like the weather has followed us too. Mugello is obviously the big one, with three races back to back around that time. I’m not too caught up with points now anyway, it’s still early.” Dani Pedrosa (Honda) : “To be honest, I don’t really like the track. However, results have been good for me here in the past. Every Friday I have to learn tracks on a MotoGP bike, and here I also need to learn the new first turn and chicane. I wasn’t expecting to win in Shanghai, but I want to win all the time of course. It’s a long way to go until Barcelona race, I need two more good results before then.” Colin Edwards (Yamaha) : “For some reason I get along with the track, even though I don’t like it very much. The new chassis has arrived, but I won’t be using them. Maybe you should ask my team-mate. The bike is good, I know we always mention the problems, but it isn’t a bad bike. We have a few difficulties, and you could say that the team is under pressure, but we are working hard.” John Hopkins (Suzuki) : “I tried all I could to stay with Colin. At the end I was waiting for him to make a mistake, but he rode more or less the perfect race. At least I now have the self-confidence to run at the front. I was riding a lot on the front tyre, and settled for easing it home in fourth. We won’t have a new engine for a while, I think Mugello is the predicted race for that. Le Mans is so much narrower than the previous circuits. There is lots of late braking and stuff that is more my style. I have had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders by the Shanghai result, so confidence is high.” Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) : “I’m not very happy with my first four races in MotoGP. The first two I had a hand injury. But the class is nice and I hope to do well. Last year I had a great race with Dani, where he beat me at the end of the last lap. It would be impossible to have the same race this year, but of course I’m going to try my best.” Alex Hofmann (Ducati) : “I spent a nice day, it has been a great sensation to offer a smile to these children as they surely are spending a quite sad period in hospital. Then, on Sunday, when they will watch the races, I think they are going to be very proud to be able to say that they met some of the riders that they will see on television. On Sunday, I will also have a special thought about them. As far as I’m concerned, I also need to get used to the atmosphere of the hospital as I will have to spend some time there after the GP of Valencia, to remove the 16 screws and the 2 plates I have got in my foot and my ankle, from the crash I had last year during the GP of Japan.”.

(Copyright 2006 Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. This original, copyrighted material may not be copied, cut and pasted, published or otherwise reproduced in any way in any medium, which means, don’t post this on another website or BBS. If you want somebody else to see this, send them a link or post a link to this page.) By Brienne Thomson Website Editor Roadracingworld.com Last weekend LRRS (Loudon Road Race Series) officials announced that they have banned certain model HJC helmets from use in competition. The announcement caused quite a stir among many LRRS racers who are HJC helmet users. In an e-mail directed to HJC and copied to Roadracingworld.com, LRRS racer Matthew F. Guilbault wrote, “As a long time HJC consumer I urge you to take corrective action immediately to allow me to continue to buy and use HJC helmets as I have done for my entire road racing career.” LRRS Race Director Don Hutchinson told Roadracingworld.com that he banned the helmets because the last five racers to have sustained serious head injuries during LRRS events were all wearing HJC helmets. But Hutchinson said that only two HJC models have been banned. “The CS and CL, I believe,” Hutchinson said in a phone interview. “All the rest are fine with us, but until we investigate this and find out more about it, we’re not going to allow riders to use those helmets.” Hutchinson said that the ban is temporary, until more information is available on the HJC helmet models in question. He also said that a Massachusetts HJC distributor told him that the models in question were not recommend for competition use. But HJC Product Development Coordinator Steve Blakeney told Roadracingworld.com that the “safety” of the CS and CL models for competition use is not in question. Blakeney said that the Massachusetts distributor was probably referring to the “features” of these lower-priced model helmets that don’t have as many “racing friendly” options as some of the other models. In regards to the LRRS ban on HJC CS and CL models, Blakeney said that the models in question have passed all of the required U.S. safety standards. “The CL passes the SNELL and DOT, the CS passed the DOT only,” Blakeney said. “What testing we can do beyond that? There’s no guidelines for it.” Blakeney also suggested that LRRS ban all non-SNELL helmets instead of just two specific HJC models. Blakeney contended that HJC attracted the unwanted attention because it’s the top-selling helmet brand in the United States. “You get a higher percentage of guys running HJCs at any track for that matter,” said Blakeney. “In turn, people crash and people get hurt and the likelihood is that more of them are going to be wearing HJCs because there are more of them out there, period.” According to LRRS Safety Director Jerry Wood, none of the crashes in question appeared to be very serious and some of them were simple lowsides. In comparing the crashes to the injuries the riders sustained, Wood’s main concern has to do with the material the helmets are made from as opposed to the brand. “Plastic helmets were never SNELL approved before,” said Wood. “I’m not sure how they got SNELL approved. It used to be that all of the helmets that were SNELL-approved for racing were fiberglass or fiberglass composite helmets.” Because all of the helmets involved in the LRRS head injury accidents that led to the ban were plastic, and because, according to HJC, the CL series helmets are SNELL approved, it raises the question of whether or not a polycarbonate plastic-shell helmet is safe for road racing use. According to SNELL Memorial Foundation General Manager Steve Johnson, racing organizations that simply specify a helmet meeting SNELL standards are actually approving a wide range of helmets and not specifically the ones recommended for competition use. “We have two standards actually,” said Johnson. “We have an ‘M’ standard that is basically designed around motorcycling and we also say different kinds of motorsports. And then we have an ‘SA’ standard, which stands for ‘Special Applications,’ and it really is more the racing requirement for helmets. There are no plastic helmets that will meet the ‘SA’ requirements because it has a flammability test, first of all, and plastic helmets will not withstand that,” Johnson said. But most popular motorcycle helmets do not carry a SNELL SA rating, and Johnson said that the SA standard was really designed around automobile racing applications. “Plastic helmets have been around for a long time and they’ve really perfected the methods and they meet our standards,” said Johnson. “We’ve been testing HJC helmets for a long time and they’re a reputable company and remain in our program. We test these helmets again and again.” Complicating matters, SNELL approval is specific to helmet models, and HJC, for example, doesn’t reveal on its website that only two of the four helmets in its CL line actually meet a SNELL standard of any type. However, Roadracingworld.com has seen no evidence that the company applies SNELL stickers to every helmet model in the CL line, nor that it sells production helmets that perform differently than helmets tested by SNELL. The SNELL website, ~http://www.smf.org/~, includes a listing of which helmets meet a SNELL standard. Another controversy regarding helmets revolves around media speculation that “softer” non-SNELL helmets will offer more protection against head injuries than helmets meeting SNELL specifications, even in racing applications. That speculation was based in part on a decades-old study of street crashes, which looked at injuries suffered by riders in those crashes. Roadracingworld.com knows of no studies of racetrack crashes that back up that theory.

BOSTROM AND HODGSON AIMING FOR SUCCESS AT INFINEON RACEWAY Sonoma (California): The Parts Unlimited Ducati Team returns to action this week at Infineon Raceway, located in the scenic Sonoma Valley just north of San Francisco. Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom will race their Ducati 999 Superbikes at the tight and twisty track known for its challenging elevation changes. The Infineon Raceway Superbike doubleheader (with races on Saturday and Sunday) is near the Ducati North America headquarters in Cupertino, California. Both Ducati pilots have been very consistent this season and have finished every race in 2006. They will attempt to improve their finishing positions against the competitive AMA Superbike field in Sonoma. The 2003 World Superbike champion Hodgson is fourth in points after five races and has finished in the top six in each race so far. Neil has fought for podium finishes and looks to earn his first victory of 2006 this weekend. “We’re working hard and making progress,” said Hodgson. “We had a long debrief after the Fontana race and think we’ve found some things that will help us at Infineon. This year, we have enjoyed racing with some of the guys for position but what we really want is to be at the front. We won’t be happy until we’re winning. Sears Point is one of my favorite tracks and I’m looking forward to the races.” Ben Bostrom is feeling positive about his fortunes this weekend. The Californian and former series champion grew up in Petaluma, California just minutes from Infineon Raceway. “The 999 chassis is really responsive to changes and when we find our ideal setup, everyone will know it,” said Bostrom. “We are not quite there yet but everyone on the team is doing their best to get there. I’m confident in my riding and at Fontana I felt like I was riding really well. I’m really pumped to get on the bike again.” Qualifying takes place on Friday and Saturday morning, with the 28-lap races on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. THE CIRCUIT Name: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California, 12 turns, 2.22 miles (3.57 kilometers). Permanent road course, Superbike races are 28 laps each. AMA SUPERBIKE POINTS (after 5 races): 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 182 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 163 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 140 4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 130 5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 126 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 124 7. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 119 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 110 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 108 10. Larry Pegram, Honda 93

CAN-AM CHALLENGE SERIES OPENER Another racing season begins, and the Can-Am Challenge Series returns to Shannonville Motorsport Park this weekend to kick off the 2006 schedule! Along with the Canadian National Superbike series, the Can-Am Challenge Series will take to the Long Track circuit of S.M.P. this long weekend; the series also looks forward to welcoming the United States Grand Prix Riders Union (USGPRU) north of the border, as the American series makes Shannonville its second stop on their North Eastern schedule. The Can-Am Challenge Series 125cc champion of 2005, John Dempsey, has left his championship up for grabs as he’s made the move to 250s; however, he’ll be watching from the sidelines, as he is taking an involuntary hiatus from racing to recuperate from an April 30th crash, resulting in a broken sternum. John Crook, last year’s 250cc champ, is returning to defend his honor, and should expect to be hassled this weekend by the usual suspects such as Alain Brault, Andre Kipen and Nick Colley. Rumor has it that Matt Cooper, another 125cc graduate, will also be in the freight train of 250cc riders sure to be battling for podium finishes this weekend. Local Shannonville boys Tim Harrington, Dean Hoelscher and Rick Bulmann should be among the top group in the 125cc class, but the USGPRU riders making the trip up to Canada should certainly not be underestimated, for both the 125cc and 250cc classes. Friday is Practice with Qualifying set for Saturday with the racing action to begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. For Updates and Results please check www.canamchallengeseries.com or www.USGPRU.net